Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of regional variations in the provision of molecular radiotherapy.

Molecular radiotherapy is currently commissioned alongside brachytherapy via a national service specification. There are currently 38 trusts in England that are commissioned to deliver these services however, given the spectrum of treatments available under this service specification, there is some variation in what each provider offers.

For this reason, NHS England is developing a standalone molecular radiotherapy service specification. This will clarify the service model and review demand and access arrangements. The service specification will also take into account any future developments in treatment technologies and recommendations made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.